Cultivated plants

Cultivated plants are the primary source of supply, since drugs largely have a "plant origin."

Today, spontaneous plants have been supplanted by cultivated ones, essentially for market reasons. Commercial needs have in fact imposed a quantitatively higher production compared to past times. Once, spontaneous plants were the main source of drugs and, even if the few cultivated in the past were nothing compared to the present ones, they still play a role of enormous pharmaceutical and voluptuous importance, such as opium poppy, coca and cannabis; all sources of drugs intended mainly for "luxury use", but which contain active pharmaceutical ingredients: for example, morphine, obtained from poppy and from whose diacetylation "heroin is obtained," is the only active ingredient capable of calming pain related to extremely strong, unbearable contractions and blunt traumas, or associated with terminal conditions; morphine, therefore, has enormous pharmaceutical importance because, together with its derivatives, it is the last bastion in extreme situations.

Coca leaves, a plant cultivated for centuries and millennia as a "social" plant, were chewed more for necessity than for pleasure use; today, on the other hand, coca has become a demonized plant, because we Europeans make a voluptuous use of it, abusing its active ingredient that becomes narcotic, cocaine. This substance has also had a pharmaceutical history as an anesthetic active ingredient; its molecular structure also inspired modern anesthetic molecules such as lidocaine and novocaine.

Finally, cannabis is a demonized plant, which possesses morphological and chemical polymorphism; the active ingredients are in fact the famous cannabinoids. Cannabis has been grown for centuries and millennia not so much for cannabinoids, but for fiber. Fiber hemp was widespread in our territories, but was removed because it was demonized, since in addition to fiber it produced and contained cannabinoids.

Plant cultivation then evolved significantly when the demand on the market for medicines was amplified, together with that of consumers and their desire to be able to choose between multiple plants both in terms of quantity, referring to a single species, and in terms of of quality, referring to several different species.

Once upon a time, the few cultivated plants were mainly intended for pleasure or pharmaceutical use; moreover, some of them grew in very small places, essentially in botanical gardens, called the simple gardens; these were small plots that were part of the pharmaceutical heritage of the simple (those who formulated drugs simply starting from drugs.) Today, however, crops are much more extensive and carried out in places where native species are grown with medicinal efficacy, or non-native species are imported and cultivated with equal effectiveness, since the factors environmental aspects of the territory do not affect the quality of that particular plant.

There are many cultivated plants of medicinal interest, some examples are cinnamon, chamomile, lavender, licorice, mallow, thyme and many others. There are elements regarding cultivation, favorable or limiting; the limiting ones are:

the high cost of labor, also depending on the type of drug to be harvested (example: chamomile is harvested mechanically, rhubarb by hand, when the plant is now four years old);

the difficulty in finding the nursery material that is characteristic, a typical problem of drugs with an exotic source that is particularly rare or not widely distributed on the continent or with very limited market demand;

the lack of adequate local or temporary mechanization.

But, above all, what must always be kept constant is the knowledge of the correct cultivation and collection of the drug, in the sense that the drug must be collected while maintaining the morphological aspects reported in the Pharmacopoeia.

Other articles on "Cultivated plants"

1. Drugs, use and types of drugs
2. Pharmacognosy
3. Drug collection and cultivation

Select plant Fir Acacia Acerola Sorrel Yarrow Yarrow Yarrow Aconito Adatoda Garlic Agnocasto Agrimonia Alchemilla Alkekengi Aloe Altea Witch Hazel Ammi or Visnaga Pineapple Andrographis Anemone Pulsatilla Angelica Anise Star Anise Japanese Star Anise Bitter Orange Bitter Areca Arnica Harpagophytum Arpagophyte Artemisia Asteragus Basil Asparagus Asparagus Peruvian Asparagus Asparagus Asparagus Hawthorn Boldo Borage Shepherd's Purse Boswellia Bucco Butea superba Cocoa Coffee Cajeput Calamus Calamus Marigold Camedrio Chamomile Roman Chamomile Camphor Cinnamon Ceylon Maidenhair Capuchin Artichoke Cardamom Cardiac Thistle Asian Thistle Carvi Cascara Cassia Catecu Catha Cabbage Celandine Chicory Centaurea Cinnamon Cypress Celandine Chives Cypress Coca Cola Colchico Combreto Condurango Comfrey Coriander Cranberry Barberry American Chrysanthemum Cumin Turmeric Damiana Digital Dioscorea Drosera Dulcamara Dunalilella Echinacea Eder a Ephedra Elenio Eleutherococcus Helichrysum Evening primrose Horsetail Alfalfa Erica Euphrasia Erisimo Escolzia Eucalyptus Farfara Farfaraccio Calabar bean Fenugreek Fennel Phytolacca Frangola Ash Fumaria Japanese Mushrooms Galega Ganoderma lucidum Garcinia Cambogia Mulberry Gentian Broom Ginkgo Ginkgo Guipana Guipana Gynestra Ginkgo Hibelia Gymnasium Hibiscus Guarulp St. John's Wort Horse Chestnut Ispaghul Hyssop Jaborandi Kava kava Konjac Laminaria Cherry Laurel Lavender Lemongrass Lespedeza Lovage Icelandic Lichen Lemon Flax Lippia Licorice Lobelia Hops Maca Marjoram Maize Mallow Manna Marrubio Marrubio d "water Matè Melaleuca Meliloto American Lemon balm Myrtle Myrama Walnut Nutmeg Walnut vomica Olive tree Meadowsweet Ononide Opuntia Oregano Orthosiphon Nettle Poppy Papaya Parietaria Feverfew Passiflora Chilli Perilla Periwinkle Phyllanthus Plantain Picrorhiza Pilosella Pino Pisci dia Podofillo Polygala Grapefruit Parsley Psyllium Pueraria mirifica Butcher's broom Pygeum Quassia Oak Rhubarb Ratania Rauwolfia currant Castor bean Rhodiola Rosehip Rosemary Rue Willow Sarsaparilla Sage Elderberry Sassafras Sedum Ergot Senna Serenoa Repens Soybean Solidago Tansy Taraxus Tamarind Tamarind Tamarind Tamarind Tamarindo Ursina Valerian Vanilla Mullein Verbena Veronica Viburnum Vinca Pansy Mistletoe Vine Withania Yohimbe Saffron Ginger Pumpkin Select disease Juvenile Acne Rosacea Tinnitus Tinnitus Aerophagia Tendon Affections Afonia Aphthae Algias Functional Halitosis Breastfeeding Allergy Anemia Anguish Anxiety Arteriosclerosis Asthrosis Asthrosis Arthritis Arthritis Men Sex Woman Blepharitis and Conjunctivitis Eye bags Bronchitis Gallstones Kidney stones Salivary stones Baldness Androgenetic Candida Fragile hair Caries Headache Cellulitis Motion sickness Cystitis C limaterio Cholecystopathy High cholesterol Ulcerative colitis Colonoscopy Contusions Hematoma Convalescence Couperose Depression Dermatitis Diaper dermatitis Diabetes Diarrhea Erectile dysfunction Dyslipidemia Dysmenorrhea Dyspepsia Disturbances of vision Hemorrhoids Epistaxis Herethism Heart disease Fever Fibromyalgia Gastro-intestinal disease Flatulence Hypertension Fibromyalgia Gastrointomnia Jaundice Laryngitis Renal lithiasis Toothache Sore throat Thinness Menopause Meteorism Mononucleosis Alzheimer's disease Crohn's disease Nausea Vomiting Obesity Dark circles Onychomycosis Osteoporosis Dry skin Periarthritis Piorea Low pressure Prostatitis Psoriasis Colds Breast fissures Anal fissures Gastro-nasal rhinitis Senescence Premenstrual Syndrome Sinusitis Quit smoking Overweight Fatty liver Constipation Stomatitis Stress Cough Triglycerides high Ulcer Burns Nails Brittle flashes Heat Warts Dizziness Properties herbal Tanning Abortive adaptogenic Aphrodisiac bittering analgesic anesthetic anorectics analgesic antacid anti-allergic anti-asthmatic Antibiotic catarrh Anticellulitiche anticonvulsant Antidiaforetiche antidiarrheal edematous anthelmintic antiemetic Antiemorroidarie antiphlogistic Antiidrotiche Antinevrotiche Antioxidants antipyretic antirheumatic antiscorbutic Antiseptic antispasmodic anti-uric Aperitive Flavoring Astringent Balsamic Bechiche Capillarotrope Cardiotonic Carminative Cathartic Caustics Healing Cholagogues Choleretic Dyes Decongestants Deodorants Purifying Diaphoretic Cleansers Disinfectants Detoxifiers Thirst quenching Diuretics Exciting Emetics Emmenagogues Emollients Hemostatic Energies Hepatoprotectors Expectorants Eupepticus Moisturisers Galactosensitizers lanti Hypertensive Hypnotic Hypoglycemic Hypotensive Irritants Laxatives Soothing Narcotic Nerves Nutrients Odontalgic Pectoral Purgative Revulsive Remineralizing Refreshing Rubefacient Scialagoghe Sedative Soporifugas Sneezing Stomachic Stomatics Narcotic Vascular Tightenitis